Radium therapeutic device



June 30,5192; y 1,543,859

E. D. LEMAN RADIUM THERAPEUTIG DEVICE Filed oct. 27, 1922 Z I I INVENTOR w fda/m mz/l Zeman.

A TTORNE Y Patented June 30, 1925.

- UNITED ls'm'ras 1,543,859 PATENT OFFICE.

EDWIN-D. LEMAN, OF EAST ORANGE, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO UNITED STATES i RADIUM' CORPORATION, A CORPORATION O DELAW'ARE. i

RADIUIL THERAPEUTIC DEVICE.

f Application filed October 27, 1922. Serial No. 597,263.

To all whom t may concern:

Be `it known Jth-atf, EDWIN, DANIEL LEMAN, a citizen of the United States, re-

siding at East Orange, inthe county of 'Essem State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and usefulA Improvements in Radium Therapeutic Devices; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the arty to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention 'relates to a mounting or holder forradio-active material and has for one of its objects the provision of means for holding the radio-active material in a form` adapted for utilization in exposing surfaces, such as skin surfaces, to the uniform action of radiations from radio-active material and adaptedalso to protect the radio-active material from injury and loss.

Holders or mountings for radio-active "material adapted lfor applying radio-active radiations to diseasedtissues of living organisms are ordinarily known as appli cators and more commonly consist of sealed glass tubes containing the radio-active ma-V terial surrounded.l by a metallic casing. Other forms consist of radio-active material `incorporated in a suitable vehicle cemented or coatedon rigidsupports of various configurations, usually plates with more or less extended surfaces. Other forms of appli- `caters comprise sealed glass tubes containing the radio-.active material, 4f supported and 'held in place by'embedding them in plastic material such as bakelite or hard rubber.

.'Each of the foregoing types of vappli-l caters is open to various objections, espem cially when used for applying low-intensity radiations to extended areas of diseased or abnormal tissues on orV near the surface of the skin. Thus the type of applicator which comprises a sealed tube enclosed in a metallic casing is open to the objection that'in order to subject such tissues to uniform radiations of low-intensity, the applicator must be held at a considerable distance from the skin. This involvesimeans for .support ing the applicator at the lrequired distance from the surface of tissues being treated v*and also frequently involves a calculation of the intensities of the radiation at different distances from the applicator. Other y types are subject to equally serious objections. Y Thus the type of applicator comprisj p'ansion.

The applicator or mounting` for radio active material comprised within the present. invention completely or largely overcomes the difiiculties just referred to. In accordance with the present invention radio-active material, 4usually of low activity, is sealed in a plurality of tubes of glass or similar ma- `terial and the tubes are. mounted in a holder or shell in such manner that they present an extended effective radiating surface, as

Y though mounted in the form of a thin layer or plate. By choosing radio-active material of the requisite lo\v activity the applicator of the present invention may be placed directly upon the surface of the skin over the diseased tissue and held in place by a bandage or by hand for the appropriate period of time thus obtaining a uniform distribu tion 'of lowintensity radiations over a considerable surface without the necessity of supporting the applicator at a definite distance above the skin as with certain other types of applicators mentioned above. The shell for holderis constructed, preferably of metal and is provided with an opening through one side wall sufficiently large to allow the introduction into the shell .or holder of a single tube at a time. The configuration of the interior of the shell or vholderis such that each tube after being introduced into the shell may be rolled to one side of the opening byy tipping the shell. The dimensions of the tubes in relation to those of the shell or holder are such as to allow for unequal expansion of the tubes and the holder so that no'strain is imposed upon the former. The opening is provided with a suitable stopper or cover by means of which the opening may be closed after the introduction of the last tube (which will ordinarily lie opposite the openinglthus i terial may be employed.

preventing the latter from `falling out through the opening when the tube is handled` The mounting or holder for-the tubes, exceptfor the opening, may'be entirely enclosed, or a portion of one sidewall parallel to the more extended surface of the layer of radio-active material formed bythe tubes may be partially removed yso asto interpose less obstruction to the passageofthe radiation. n e

i -One embodiment of the present invention is illustrated in thevaccompanying drawing in which Fig. l is aview in perspective of 'fthe complete holder or applicator. Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view takenV on theline 2 2 of Fig. l. Fig.3 is a sectional view similar to Fig. 2 and :illustrates the ymethod of introducing and removing the tubes of radioactive,material into and from the shell and shows the plug or stopper removed and one of the glass tubes partly removed from .the casing, and Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional view taken on line 4 4 of Fig. l. Fig. 5 is a-n enlarged view similar to Fig. Y2 andFi-g.V

6 is Van enlarged Vview similar to Fig. 4, the

tubes of radio-active material being heldin placeby plastic material.

Referring to the drawing, 'l indicates the shell or rigid support adapted to contain the glass tubes 2, disposed parallel to each other and lying substantially in the same plane 5 3 is a threaded plug ormstopper adaptedtoV `close the opening l through which'the glass tubes may be introduced intothe shell, and 5 indicatesa pair Aof o'ppositely disposed end flanges .adapted to? hold thetubes in position when the applicator'. is inverted as when lap-v plying the .radiations to the surface Vof the skin. Y

It will be understood that, the pre-sent invention is not restricted tothe details of construction illustratedlin the drawing but other constructions and arran'gements of parts 1 may be rused in accordance with the broad features of my invention outlined above. The shell or container may be constructed conveniently of brassbut other suitable -mathat in the form of the invention illustrated in the dra-wing, the Vwalls and sides of the shell are constructed for the most part of a .continuous sheet of material, but if desired, the shell may Ybe constructed in' the form of llattice work or of wire netting orvsimilar discontinuous support, the main function ofthe shell being to provide a means for supporting or holding the plurality of tubes of radiofactive material'in position soV as to presentan extended radiating surface in accordance with the Vmain features of thein-` It will be notedY Y protecting adapted to have one V.flat side applied to the shell will be.iilled `with a plastic material indicated by the referencecharacter 6, this material covering the upper surfaces of theV tubes `and being broughtlflus'h With'the upper edges of the over-hanging end flan es .5. Preferably the material Aemployed "or this purpose will .be transparent so that the condition of Vthe'tubes maybe ascertained@ readily and it has been found that a-trans parent balelite `or'fother plasticl substance of that character is .best ladapted `for the purpose. Inthe applicators() constructed, the tubes are firmly anchored'againstlateral movement and are protected"`from in'u At thesame time, since` that surface which 11s to be applied to the skin is smooth there Ais less likelihood of the patientA sulfer'ing any discomfort. The tubes will be not only'` protected against .injuryfrom external sources but will be 1 lprevented from any;` possibility .oflateral movement AWithin thefcasingso that rubbing or other lwearing conta'ctis obviated. "Should it`be desirablefto remove the tubes Vfrom'the shell, the 'plastic material may be readily displacedbyfheating so that the old tubes may be Withdra-Wn'and `new" ones placed'in position. VIt will 'be .understood of coursey that the .plastic'mnter'ial," which is selected for this'purposefwilllbe of such Va character as to ield, when the thermaleXpa-nsion ofthe g asstubes occurs, .thus insuring thatthe differences inthe rate of expansion between the tubes *and the Shell will not result in 'injuryl xto the ,tubes.

l/Vhile the applicatorofthe present` inventionis peculiarly well adapted for the specific purposes'hereinbefore mentioned Tit will be understood thatit maybe employed toV advantage also for-allt'hepurposes and under allconditions for which applicators Vin general .are used either in connection with radio-active material of high or of low activ- `ity as will be readily'nndeI-'stood by those kskilled in the art concerned. Y

I claim: n' 1. An applicatorfo-rapplying radium radiations `'comprising a plurality Vof tubes containing radio-active fmaterial -disposed side by sideso asfto presen-tan extended effective radiating surface, and `alat casing supporting the Vsaid Itubes and enclosing and them, `the applicator being the body to be treated with the radiations.

2. A plurality of tubes containing radioactive material disposed side by side so as to present an extended effective radiating surface and supported in a loosely fitting substantially rigid casing adapted to allow for unequal thermal expansion of thev tubes and the casing.v

3. A plurality of tubes containing radioactive material disposed side by side so as to present an extended effective radiating surface and supported in a loosely fitting substantially rigid casing adapted to allow for unequal thermal vexpansion of the tubes and the casing, and provided with an opening for introducing the tubes into the casing and with means for closing said opening.

t. An applicator for applyingr radium radiations comprising a plurality of tubes containing radio-active material ydisposed side vby side so as to present an extended effective radiating surface, and a flat casing supporting` the said tubes and enclosing and protecting them, the casing being formed the applicator being adapted to have one` fiat side applied to the body to be treated with the radiations.

5. A plurality of tubes containing a i radio-active material disposed side by side so as to present an extended effective surface and supported in a loosely fitting substantially rigid casing having an open face, this opening being filled with a plastic material. Y

6f A flattened bundle of tubes containing` a radio-active material disposed so as to present an extended effective surface and supported in a loosely fitting substantially rigid casing having an open face, this opening being filled with a mass of transparent plastic material lying fiush with the eX- ternal surface of said casing and having portions lying between the upper surfaces of the tubes.

In testimony whereof I aiiix my signature.

EDWIN D. LEMAN. 

